Probe GoldBod CEO …Anti-Galamsey Coalition Petitions AG

The Ghana Coalition Against Galamsey (CAGG) has called on the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), Sammy Gyamfi, to retract his alleged remarks suggesting that artisanal miners could operate without licences if they stayed away from forest reserves and water bodies.

The coalition has also petitioned the Office of the Attorney-General to investigate the reported statement, arguing that it raises serious concerns about compliance with Ghana’s mining laws and the country’s efforts to combat illegal mining.

In a series of demands, CAGG is asking Mr Gyamfi to issue an unqualified apology to the Ghanaian public, while urging President John Dramani Mahama, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources and the Minerals Commission to publicly reaffirm that mining cannot lawfully be undertaken without the requisite licence, regardless of the location.

The group made the demand in a press statement, “The CEO of GoldBod must immediately retract the statement and issue an unqualified apology to the Ghanaian public. We call on the HE the President of the Republic of Ghana, Minister for Lands and Natural Resources and the Minerals Commission to reaffirm publicly that no mining activity is legal without a licence, irrespective of location. We call on the Office of the Attomey-General to investigate the statement for the offence of abetment of illegal mining under Section 99 of Act 995. No one is above the law.”

The coalition is further calling for stronger measures to protect farmers and landowners against possible encroachment by miners, as well as a comprehensive national plan to safeguard agricultural lands from the destructive effects of illegal mining.

The demands come amid persistent national concern about the impact of galamsey on water bodies, forest reserves, agricultural production and rural livelihoods.

“We remind all artisanal and small-scale miners that following such unlawful directives will not protect them from prosecution. The law will hold you, and the person who told you to do it, liable.”

Beyond the licensing controversy, the Coalition led by Ing. Dr. Ken Ashigbey is demanding urgent steps to protect farmers and landowners from possible incursions onto their properties by mining operators.

It has called on the Ministry of National Security, the Ghana Police Service and the Ministry of the Interior to put appropriate protection measures in place, particularly for farmers who may be vulnerable to encroachment.

The coalition is also proposing the establishment of rapid-response channels through which farmers can report attempts to enter or undertake mining activities on their lands.

It concluded, “Government should publish a clear national plan to protect farmlands that includes: Legal protection for agricultural lands and designated farming enclaves, including clear no-go zones for mining.

“Mapping and registration of farmlands, with support for women, elderly and migrant farmers seeking to document their land rights. Compensation, remediation and support for farmers whose lands have been destroyed while degraded lands need to be reclaimed.”